Potential International Student

[Alejandro]

Hello I am a senior in The United States, and next year I would like to matriculate into an Argentine university, but I am in need of some serious help with the Argentine university system.

I have read that all public universities in Argentina are free, but then I read on another website that they are almost free, are public Argentine universities completely free or almost free?

What are the best Argentine universities? I read that it was UBA and Austral.

Do public universities offer dorms? I can’t imagine UBA having dorms, or is it very hard to get one there?

What documentation do I need to study in Argentina, and then later work in Argentina?

If I were to attend a private university or if the public university is not entirely free, could I apply any of US financial aid to paying for tuition? Do you know of ways of obtaining financial aid (scholarships, loans, etc) to study in Argentina?

What is the academic calendar in Argentina?

Thank you.


PS: Please don’t think I am so dumb teenager, I really want to do this and I have tried to find this information but I have not had too much luck.
​

 

[sesamosinsal]

(I'm assuming you're a senior in high school throughout this post...)

I don't know how universities function here. My guess is that the public universities are free to those who pay taxes in Argentina or who are from countries that are members of MERCOSUR. That's just a guess.

Before finishing up my undergrad, I was recommended by a professor at my university (University of Missouri) to avoid obtaining degrees directly from a university in a foreign country. If you want to do your Bachelor's degree here, it might make it more difficult for you if you ever planned on getting your Master's. A university in the U.S. or elsewhere might not recognize some or all of the courses you did in a foreign university. This is just what I was told; perhaps someone can elaborate on this a bit more for you.

Student residences do exist. However, these function independently from the universities, and are not owned by the universities. When I came here during my undergrad in 2008, I stayed at Azul Residencia.

To get a degree here, I believe you have to get the Argentine version of the Social Security number. Not familiar with this either, but I believe most students come here as a tourist and sort all of that out while they are here studying. My friend who studied here in 2007 through an exchange program studied here as a tourist for the entire year. (She received her degree from a Uni in the U.S., not in Argentina)

Lastly, financial aid that you would receive by filling out the FAFSA could not be applied for study directly through an Argentine university. Federal funds can only be used at universities approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Clearly, universities here in Argentina aren't regulated by the Department of Education.

If you're coming here to get your Bachelor's Degree, I wouldn't recommend it. I would apply to a university in the states, and come here as a part of a semester or year-long study abroad program during your junior year.

Good luck!

 

[KatharineAnn]

Hello Alejandro! I'm not going to assume you are a stupid teenager - judging by your forum name I will actually assume you have some family background in Argentina or at least Latin America, and that's reason enough to find wanting to study in one of these countries very understandable.

That said, I think it's important to think about what you plan to do after finishing your undergrad degree. Do you plan on living in Argentina? Do you plan on living in the US? What degree are you planning on studying, and what is the job market in both countries? The UBA is a very good institution and has presige worldwide. Unfortunately, degrees don't always transfer so great if you plan to continue to graduate school in the US or another country. For example, an engineering degree at the UBA lasts 6 years, and some US schools refuse to consider it a combined BA/MA equivalent and consider it a BA (even though it is clearly more advanced than a simple US BA).

The problem with the UBA is that, although it is free for everyone (including foreigners) you may have trouble studying there because you finished your secondary studies in another country. If you finish your high school in a country not included in the Mercosur, you will be required to take 6 high school equivalency exams in order to 'validate' your high school studies. This is a long process so if you plan to start school here in March you should plan to arrive at least 6 months earlier so that you will have time to take these exams and then send your exam scores and apostilled and officially translated HS transcripts to the ministerio de educacion, where they will be validated (in a process that may take various months), only after which will you be considered a high school graduate and therefore eligible to study in the UBA. Whoo. That was a mouthful. Is that more or less clear? Probably not, it took me months of suffering to get all the info straight myself.

Anyhow, the UBA is not all fun and games - it's Argentine beaurocracy at its finest. But if you're determined, and particularly if you've got family down here to help support you when it gets stressful, it could be a good experience for you.

 

[Alejandro]

Hello Alejandro! I'm not going to assume you are a stupid teenager - judging by your forum name I will actually assume you have some family background in Argentina or at least Latin America, and that's reason enough to find wanting to study in one of these countries very understandable.

That said, I think it's important to think about what you plan to do after finishing your undergrad degree. Do you plan on living in Argentina? Do you plan on living in the US? What degree are you planning on studying, and what is the job market in both countries? The UBA is a very good institution and has presige worldwide. Unfortunately, degrees don't always transfer so great if you plan to continue to graduate school in the US or another country. For example, an engineering degree at the UBA lasts 6 years, and some US schools refuse to consider it a combined BA/MA equivalent and consider it a BA (even though it is clearly more advanced than a simple US BA).

The problem with the UBA is that, although it is free for everyone (including foreigners) you may have trouble studying there because you finished your secondary studies in another country. If you finish your high school in a country not included in the Mercosur, you will be required to take 6 high school equivalency exams in order to 'validate' your high school studies. This is a long process so if you plan to start school here in March you should plan to arrive at least 6 months earlier so that you will have time to take these exams and then send your exam scores and apostilled and officially translated HS transcripts to the ministerio de educacion, where they will be validated (in a process that may take various months), only after which will you be considered a high school graduate and therefore eligible to study in the UBA. Whoo. That was a mouthful. Is that more or less clear? Probably not, it took me months of suffering to get all the info straight myself.

Anyhow, the UBA is not all fun and games - it's Argentine beaurocracy at its finest. But if you're determined, and particularly if you've got family down here to help support you when it gets stressful, it could be a good experience for you.

Wow, thank you for all this information. You assumed correctly I do have a family background in Latin America, not Argentina though. I would imagine that I will fall in love (I already am, and I’ve never visited) with Argentina, so yes I would be living there after completing my undergrad.

I am planning on obtaining a business degree, specifically international business. That is one of the reasons I want to be an international student, because I think it would be advantageous for me to study international business in another country. Do you think with UBA’s prestige that a business degree there would be upheld internationally?

I did not know about the equivalency exams, thank you. This might change my plans. Do you know if you can take them in The United States, or do they have to be taken in Argentina?

Is March the beginning of the school year in Argentina?

 

[mini]

Have you read Maya Frost's book The New Global Student?
Definitely get a hold of it.
http://www.mayafrost.com/
http://www.amazon.com/New-Global-St...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259383162&sr=8-1

 

[Alejandro]

I am planning on obtaining a business degree, specifically international business. That is one of the reasons I want to be an international student, because I think it would be advantageous for me to study international business in another country. Do you think with UBA’s prestige that a business degree there would be upheld internationally?

Is March the beginning of the school year in Argentina?

Update: I found the answer to both of these questions.

 

[oxente!]

Hi Alejandro,

If you are interested in studying business I think UADE (Universidad Argentina de la Empresa) could be a good option. Something to consider is that even though UBA is free you will have significant housing costs and a degree at a private school will save you a whole year of tuition (because you dont have to do the CBC prep year in private schools). UADE also has dorms that are for their students (generally for Argentines that are from the interior of the country that come to BA to study). The city is full of regular residencias which are dorm-style housing for students from a wide range of universities.

I am a graduate student here in Buenos Aires and I got my Bachelors degree in the US. When I think about how much people go in debt to study in the US it makes complete sense that you could consider coming to Argentina to study. The cost savings is huge and it´s a very interesting experience. I have done all the paperwork for enrollment, getting residency, DNI, legalizing documents etc so feel free to send me a Private Message if you need help.

This is a new site designed for researching universities if you want to check it out: http://webuniversitaria.com/

Suerte!

 

[Alejandro]

Have you read Maya Frost's book The New Global Student?
Definitely get a hold of it.
http://www.mayafrost.com/
http://www.amazon.com/New-Global-St...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259383162&sr=8-1

Thank you so much, I am talking to her on Facebook right now .

 

[Alejandro]

Hi Alejandro,

If you are interested in studying business I think UADE (Universidad Argentina de la Empresa) could be a good option. Something to consider is that even though UBA is free you will have significant housing costs and a degree at a private school will save you a whole year of tuition (because you dont have to do the CBC prep year in private schools). UADE also has dorms that are for their students (generally for Argentines that are from the interior of the country that come to BA to study). The city is full of regular residencias which are dorm-style housing for students from a wide range of universities.

I am a graduate student here in Buenos Aires and I got my Bachelors degree in the US. When I think about how much people go in debt to study in the US it makes complete sense that you could consider coming to Argentina to study. The cost savings is huge and it´s a very interesting experience. I have done all the paperwork for enrollment, getting residency, DNI, legalizing documents etc so feel free to send me a Private Message if you need help.

This is a new site designed for researching universities if you want to check it out: http://webuniversitaria.com/

Suerte!

Thanks. I've never heard of that school. Where can I find it's prerequisites? Or do all schools in Argentina just require a high school diploma . Are you doing all your graduate studies here? Is UADE your school?

 

[RICKWU]

Hola Alejandro, con gusto te brindaremos información de las universidades de argentina, si es que eso necesitas.

Igualmente te aclaro que es necesario tener el diploma del secundario para ingresar a todas las universidades.

Lo que necesites, a tu disposición.
Rick